Clock



J. W. CHILDS March 2, 1937.

CLOCK Filed June 3, 1936 7 Insulation lnsalat PatcntedMar.2,l937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE muss moo: rs-umcmsawmno.

mmamsuumsss'n 4 cu- (OI. ss-so) 'lhisinventionrelatestoclomandmoreparticularlytoaclockhavinganillmninatedfacc. havingforiiaobiecttopsovideaconstruction lmple in parts and more eilicient in operation 5 than those herctotore W ed.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts as will be disclosed more fully hereinafter and particularly pointed lo cut in the claims. I

Referring to the accompanvins drawing formingapartofthisspeciilcation andinwhichlike numerals designate like partsin all the views.

l'lg. i is a front elevation of a clock to which 15 this invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a detail in horiaontal plan illustrating apart of theclockwork mechanism involving this invention;

Hg.3isadetail sectionalviewillustratingthe connection between a rotating contact pin and a stationary commutator segment by means of which an electric circuit is maintained:

Fig. 4 is an elevations] view of a pair of commutator segments;

u l'ig.5isaviewilhistratingthemountingofa clock hand on its rotating shaft; and

Jig. 6 is a detail horizontal section showing a modification of the mounting of electric circuit conductors on the shafts o! the clock hands.

In the drawing a clock is generally indicated by.the numeral i provided with the dial 2 over which the hour-hand I and the minute-hand l are adapted to pass. the minutes hand being mounted on the outer end of a tubular shalt l,

andthehour-handbeingmountedontheouter end oi the shaft lpassing through said tubular shaft. The shaft 0 has mounted thereon the mearl drivenbyapinionlmounteduponashaft O of the clockwork train. and the shaft 8 has 40 mounted thereon the gear ll driven by a pinion ll mountedontheshaft ilofsnotherportion oi the clockwork train. whereby said gears will bcrotatedasrcadilyunderstoodinhorolcgyfrom a suitable motor source of power. not shown. to

45 give the proper timed rotation of the hourand minute-hands.

'Iheinnershaftiasshowninflg.5,asaiso the tubular shaft I. may each be made of electrical non-conducting material. the inner shaft so ha? spaced longitudinally extending grooves formed in its surface to receive therein the current conducting wires i2 and It, the outer end of each of these wires being soldered or otherwise rigidly connected to an electrical conducting plate lbadaptedtobeslidinglyenga gedbyelectricsiconductingspringilngersextendingfromcneofthe handsaftheclock.

'lhegearlhasrigidlyattachcdtooneface thereof an electrical non-conducting cup or JoOetIIpI-ovidedwithanivpeningIHntheside g wallthsreofnearitsbaseandthroughwhichthe innerendofthewiresuchasitmaypassand besolderedorotherwisesuitablyconnectedtoa coil spring ll adapted to press outwardly from thecupametallic contactpin il-havingafree 1o sliding fit within the cups Acompanionandsimilarcup llisdisposedonthes amefaceofthe gear I but substantially diametricallyowosed to thecupllthecupllalsocarryingafreelyslmable metallic contact pin fl similarly spring is prssedand electrically connectedtothewire II;

The frame of the clock, not shown for the pu pose of clearness, carries two substantially diametricallyopposedhracketsllandtluch extending inwardly toward the axis of the shaft m Oandupontheinnerendsofsaidbrachetsis rigidly secured an electrical non-conducting ring llsurroundingtheshaftl. Uponthesideofthis rin'gfacingthegearlismountedapsirdsubstantially semi-circular metallic commutator lega meats I8 and 20, said segmcntsbeingconcentric withtheshaftiandsecuredtotheringashy thcbolts ilpassingthroughsaid ringandthreaded into said segments without penetrating the exposed surface of said segments, wherefore the a exposed surface isleft unmarred for sliding contaetwiththepinsilandllduringtheircircuiar travel with the gear I. 'lheends of the commutator segments do not touch each other, being spacedapartasattladistancewhichisliishtl a. greater than the diameter of said contact pins so that no pin is capable of spanning the ends of said segments and forming an electrical path therebetween. To provide a continuous contact surface for said pins.thering2'l is formedwith m proiectionsorlugstoiillthespacebetweentha segment ends at ii. The segments 2. and a are electrically connected as by the wires 82 and 88 respectively to a source of electric power.

'l'hegearilhassecuredtoonefacethereofa a pair of electrical non-conducting cups II and it carrying the metallic spring-pressed contact pins 81 and 88 respectively which are substantial duplicatesinallrupectstothecups lland "and contactpins ll andilassociatedwiththegear so I. Alsothereisasecondpairofbracketsll and 4. carried by the clock framework for supporting another electrical non-conducting annular ring ll concentrically surrounding the tubularshaftlandinalirespectsaduplicateofflie ss ring 21. To this second ring 4| is secured a pair of electrical conducting commutator segments 42 and 43 which are duplicates of the segments 28 and 29 and are connected to the wires 32 and 33 as by the electric current conductors 44 and 45 respectively.

The tubular shaft carries the wires 46 and 41 for electrically connecting the contact pins 38 and 31 respectively with similar metallic plates such as 55 at the outer end of said shaft for contactingly supporting the other hand of the clock.

Each hand of the clock is made in the form of an incandescent electric light bulb 50 as best illustrated in Fig. 5, the bulb portion being preferably oval or flat in cross-section so as to occupy the least possible space between the dial 2 and the glass front of the clock. The base of each bulb is bifurcated as at 5! and carries the ends of the looped filament 52. The ends of the filament are connected to metallic fingers such as 53 and 54 formed in continuation of the bifurcated ends of the bulb and disposed in parallel relation to each other. The metallic plates such as 55, carried by each hand rotating shaft, are rigidly secured or firmly pressed in kerfs such as 56 disposed on the end of each shaft so that the fingers 53 and 54 of each bulb may readily be slid transversely of a shaft into surface contact with said plates, and to further aid in the securement of said fingers to said plates, 2. locking depression such as indicated at 51 may be provided. In other words, from Fig. 5 it will be seen that the wires 46 and 41 are connected to duplicate plates such as 55 disposed substantially diametrically of the shaft 5, and from Figs. 5 and 6 it will be understood that the other wires i 2 and iii are likewise connected to plates which are duplicates of the plates 55 but disposed in similar kerfs on the other shaft 6. Therefore it will be seen that a simple and quick push-pull connection is afforded between each bulb hand and its shaft whereby a hand may be readily placed in or removed frcm position on its shaft.

In the construction shown in Fig.6 the tubular shaft 5 and the inner shaft 6 are illustrated as made of metal or electrical conducting material, and in this case it will of course be necessary to insulate the wires l2, I3, 46 and 41 as indicated at 50, and it will also be necessary to insulate the bulb fingers 53 as well as their metallic contact plates such as by disposing them in troughs of insulation as indicated at 6|, but otherwise the construction is similar to that above described and shown in Fig. 5.

From the foregoing description it will therefore be seen that electric current from a suitable source will flow over the wire 32, energizing commutator segment 28 and from which the current will pass through the contact pin IE to and through its spring l1 and pass over the wire l3 to and through the filament of the lamp hand carried by the shaft 6, thence over the wire l2 .to and through the contact pin 20 and the other commutator segment 23 to the wire 33 and back to source, illuminating said bulb hand. At the same time a branch circuit will permit the current to pass over the wire 44 to energize commutator segment 42 from which the current will pass through the pin 31, over the wire 41 and through the bulb hand carried by the other shaft 5, said current returning over the wire 46 through the pin 38 and other commutator segment 43 to the wire 45 and thence back to source, illuminating the second bulb hand. If desired a switch may be interposed in the main current conductors whereby the illumination of the hands may be controlled, and in such case it will be found convenient to tint with coloring matter the glass of the bulbs constituting the hands of the clock so that they may be seen more readily when not 11- luminated, in contrast to the dial. Because of the gap, between the ends of the commutator segments, there will be a break in the circuit when each of the contact pins reaches said gap but this break will be of very short time duration since the gap is made only slightly greater in dimension than the diameter of the contact pin, occurring once every thirty minutes with respect to the minute-hand and once every six hours with respect to the hour-hand.

From the foregoing description it will therefore be seen that by this invention there is provided a clock having a rotatable gear and a shaft rotated by said gear, said shaft having disposed therein a pair of electric current conductors, the gear having mounted thereon and extending from the face thereof, a pair of longitudinally yieldable brushes or pins which are individually connected to said conductors. There is also provided a stationary ring of insulating material surrounding said shaft with a pair of commutator segments mounted on the face of said ring next to said gear and contacting said pins, with the space between the segment ends filled with the material of said ring to provide a continuous surface over which said pins will travel, said segments being concentrically disposed with respect to said gear and shaft and connected to a source of electric current. Contact plates are disposed on opposite sides of the outer end of said shaft and connected to said conductors, and a hand is provided comprising an electric light bulb having spaced filament terminals slidingly and springingly engaging said plates for holding said bulb to said shaft.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of this invention and therefore it is desired not to be limited exactly to the foregoing disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clock the combination of a rotatable gear; a shaft rotated by said gear and carrying a pair of electric current conductors; a. pair of substantially semi-circular stationary commutator segments concentrically disposed with respect to said gear; means to electrically energize said segments; a pair of brushes carried by said gear and engageable with said segments one at a time; contact plates disposed on opposite sides of the outer end of said shaft and connected to said.

conductors, and a hand comprising an incandescent electric light bulb having spaced filament terminals slidingly engaging said plates for holding said bulb to said shaft.

2. In a clock the combination of a rotatable gear; a shaft rotated by said gear and having disposed therein a pair of electric current conductors; a pair of longitudinally yieldable pins mounted on and extending from a face of said gear and individually connected to said conductors; a stationary ring of insulating material surrounding said shaft; a pair of commutator segments mounted on the face of said ring next to said gear and contacting said pins, the space between the segment ends being filled with the material of said ring to provide a. continuoussurface over which said pins will travel, said segments connected to a source of electric current;

gonna contact plates diepoled on opnooite sides 0! the outer end of said shaft and connected to aid conductors: and a hand'comwlsing an electric light bulb having spaced filament terminals slidingly engall l Bald platen for holding mid bulb to said shaft.

3. In a clock the combination of a shaft having a pair of diametrically diepoeed recesses formed therein; a contact plate dllpoeed in each recess; a hand comprising an incandescent electric light bulb having spaced filament terminals alidably cnming laid plates for holding said bulb toaaid shaft; andelectric currentoonductorloeto said plates and extending within said shaft for illuminating said bulb.

4. In a clock the combination of a shaft havn pnir of kerta formed diametrically at one end thereof; a contact plate rigidly mounted in end: keri'; a hand comprising an incandescent 

